Final answer:
Given these considerations, the answer to the student's question is that a high pressure boiler plant of over 200 bhp cannot approach near continuous absence because the risks associated with leaving such a facility without immediate supervision are too high. Instead, continuous attendance is required to ensure the plant's safe and efficient operation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Operating procedures for high pressure boiler plants are important for the safety and efficiency of the power plant operation. In the context of boiler plant operation, the requirements for an operator to attend to a boiler of over 200 bhp (boiler horsepower) vary depending on jurisdiction and specific plant safety guidelines. However, typically such a high-pressure system would require continuous monitoring, meaning that prolonged absence or leaving the boiler room unattended for extended periods could lead to serious safety risks.
The three water systems mentioned - condenser, steam generator, and reactor - are critical to the function of the power plant, and their proper operation is dependent on continuous oversight to prevent contamination and to manage the plant's safety mechanisms. For instance, the reactor water, which is radioactive, is meticulously contained, and any absence of an operator could risk a breach of protocol. Similarly, if the steam generator's function to boil water to steam is left unsupervised, an operator would not be immediately available to respond to emergencies, such as a loss of coolant accident, which would require the quick activation of auxiliary cooling water and pumps.
Given these considerations, the answer to the student's question is that a high pressure boiler plant of over 200 bhp cannot approach near continuous absence because the risks associated with leaving such a facility without immediate supervision are too high. Instead, continuous attendance is required to ensure the plant's safe and efficient operation.